


One Stitch Closer

by aglassflower



Category: ATEEZ (Band)
Genre: Cosplayer Seonghwa, M/M, Mild Sexual Content, Minor Jeong Yunho/Song Mingi, Original Character(s), Single Parent AU, Single Parent Choi San, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-31
Updated: 2020-10-31
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:53:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,064
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27099925
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aglassflower/pseuds/aglassflower
Summary: There's not much that San wouldn't do for his daughter, even if that means that he has to find a way to ask the incredibly talented (and extremely attractive, if San is being completely honest) cosplayer for help recreating one of his cosplays for her Halloween costume.
Relationships: Choi San/Park Seonghwa
Comments: 34
Kudos: 204
Collections: All Hallows ATEEZ Exchange





	One Stitch Closer

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SunfireRhapsody](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SunfireRhapsody/gifts).



> I apologize in advance because I swear these boys had a mind of their own and they did their own thing the majority of the time. 
> 
> But I hope that you enjoy reading it, because I had a lot of fun writing it!

The first thing that San notices about Mars is that he is really talented. Unbelievably so. San may not be the best with doing the sewing thing—he can mend clothes perfectly fine, thank you very much—but even he can see the great detail and care that is in every stitch.

And it’s not just the really, really difficult looking cosplays that show it. It’s every single one that he does, even the older ones where it was clear that he was still fairly new at it.

It’s obvious to anyone that looks, that pays even the slightest ounce of attention, that he takes a lot of pride in his craft and that it wasn’t just some hobby that he had picked up on a whim. It’s something that he cares about and something that he has a lot of fun with. 

San can understand why Yeonha looks up to him, can see what drew her attention to him, with all the bright and colorful cosplays that are put together masterfully. 

What he doesn’t understand is _why_ she wanted him to recreate one of Mars’s cosplays for Halloween—by hand—because _“you have to make it daddy. You can’t just buy it. It won’t be the same.”_

He remembers how she had come up to him with a printed out picture after having a little sleepover at a friend’s and how she very matter-of-factly let him know that she doesn’t want to be anything else for Halloween. 

San had taken one look at her determined expression and he just couldn’t say no to that face.

So here he was, browsing through this cosplayer’s facebook, looking through his statuses and hoping to see some works in progress, because he is definitely floundering over here on his own. The costume that Yeonha had chosen had seemed simple enough to make from scratch. However, he had found out pretty fast that just because it had looked simple doesn’t mean that it actually was—the fabric is full of uneven stitches, causing it to bunch up as he works and his fingers have been pricked by the needle more times than he can count.

San had seen the timestamp of when the original picture was posted and it is one of the older ones—done a few years back—and clearly one that had been done with a whole group if the other photos in the album had anything to say about it. 

He clicks out of the uploads album that he's been looking through and heads back to the main page wondering if there was enough there to help, but he perks up when he sees that there's been a status update. 

"Hey, an AMA is that thing that they do on Reddit, isn't it?" San calls out to his friend Yunho, not looking away from his phone. "Where the person gets on and then answers questions and stuff after posting proof that they are who they say they are?"

"Yeah, that's what it is," Yunho says. He looks over at San and lets out a chuckle when he can see how entranced the other man is with his phone. "Is someone doing one and that's why you're not paying attention to me, even though you're the one who asked me over?"

San gives a sheepish shrug of his shoulders at that. San knows that Yunho is just teasing and isn’t actually upset even though yes, he _had_ invited Yunho over because it had definitely been way too long since they had last seen each other. "Yeonha asked me to make a specific costume for Halloween. I guess she had seen a picture of a cosplayer in said costume while she was over at a friend’s house and had the parent print it out. However, I am struggling and I'm not above asking for help or advice, or whatever I can get at this point." He pulls up a tab on his phone before handing it over to Yunho. "Okay, okay. I _know_ it doesn't look that difficult at first glance. But she doesn't want me to buy anything. She wants me to do it from scratch and apparently everything I do is wrong. And! And there are props. Props! And I know Halloween is months away, but this is an absolute disaster already."

Yunho grabs the phone from San's hand and brings it closer to his face to get a better look and lets out a whistle. "Yeah, I can see what you mean." He hands the phone back over to San, who takes it back albeit a bit reluctantly. "I don't think I recognize what it's from. It kinda looks a little creepy."

"Apparently, that's what ‘makes it perfect for Halloween,’" San says, shaking his head. Because yes, it is creepy, and he probably should have had her choose something else, but he thinks it's also kind of cool? Even if he doesn't know much about the origin. He clicks on the _Read More..._ option on the picture. "It's from a game called Bioshock. A Little Sister? I'm not really familiar with it? It's like this first person horror game from what I've seen of it. The designs are pretty cool."

Yunho hums and then takes the phone back from San again, taking a closer look at the picture, and then rotating it so he can look at it from different angles. Then he begins clicking through the other pictures in the album, ones that show the progress from beginning to end. "So, you’re planning on trying to take advantage of the AMA thing?"

"Was going to try. Do you think it'll work?" San asks, frowning. He wishes that he knew more about this kind of thing. 

"I don't think that it'll hurt to at least ask, but you might not want to get your hopes up or anything. He seems to be pretty popular, so there's a chance that he might not be able to answer yours." 

* * *

"Yeah, I know that it's probably a long shot, but it's what Yeonha wants, so I'll do my best to make it work for her."

When the post finally comes that the AMA is live, San heads over to the site. He had made a profile earlier in the week, because he hadn’t wanted to post anonymously… if that had even been an option in the first place. But he had made sure that he had been ready. 

San types in his message, complete with descriptions of his progress—or lack thereof, rather—and asks if there are tips or any bits of wisdom that could be passed along. He tries to keep it short and sweet as much as he possibly can because he’s desperate for advice but doesn’t want to come across as _too_ desperate. 

So he submits his question and he waits. 

(He has no problem admitting that he had turned the notifications on for the page just so he wouldn’t miss any replies on his phone. Because well. Sometimes he forgot things, and this was something that his daughter would never let him live down for a long while if he couldn’t make it happen, so he didn’t want to risk it.)

He looks for something to keep him busy, so that he doesn’t get stuck staring at his phone all day, eventually settling on some cooking show. 

After a time, he refreshes the page and he sees other questions being answered, but his own still remains unanswered long after the AMA actually ends. He knew that it had been a long shot, but he can't pretend that he's not at least a little bit disappointed. He finds a little comfort in the fact that he's not the only one that hadn't been answered—he figures that there had been a time limit.

San begins to resign himself to telling Yeonha that he might not be able to make it like she wants and ask her if it would be _so bad_ to just buy the pieces, even though just the thought of doing that and seeing her crestfallen looks breaks his heart. And that’s when he notices that he's received a notification on his reddit account after refreshing.

Which is... strange. He hadn't even realized that messages could even be sent through here, but he shrugs and clicks.

And blinks.

Because there, sitting in his inbox, is a message from Mars.

_Hey!_

_I definitely would be more than happy to help you with your project! And I'm sorry, I know you were probably expecting to hear from me in an actual reply on the thread, but I thought that this might be better? This way we have a way to message back and forth. If you prefer another form of contact, let me know!_

_-Mars_

And okay. This isn't exactly what San had been expecting. It is much better. He's actually going to be able to have a back and forth with someone who knows what they're doing. They're going to have an actual conversation and he's going to receive actual help and not just a one-time bit of advice about what to do.

Like, he could actually go and send a message and then get a reply back.

_It's no problem! I'm just happy to have you reply at all, because I know you're probably pretty busy. So thank you!_ _  
__  
__Like I mentioned in my question, I'm struggling quite a bit with pretty much… everything really. I don't even know where to look for fabrics or techniques to use! This cosplay making is some serious stuff. I actually don't know how this Reddit messaging thing works, but you can find me on facebook as Choi San! I know how that works a little bit better if that works for you._

_-San_

And then, without even thinking about it, he tacks on his phone number at the bottom of the message, adding in that there is no pressure to use that method, and then hits send before he can talk himself out of it.

* * *

_unknown number  
_ I hope I’m not getting back to you too late!  
Something came up, so I couldn’t reply earlier. 

  
San stares as the messages come in from an unknown number. It takes him half a minute too long to realize who could be messaging him and then his fingers are quickly typing a response before he can stop himself. 

_San  
_ Please tell me that this is Mars  
and not someone that my friends randomly  
put me into contact with and I forgot about them  
If that is the case, i am so incredibly sorry

There’s a few minutes where there’s no reply, and he wonders if maybe he had been a little _too_ friendly right off the bat. He’s aware that he can be a little much sometimes, even though he’s been reassured that he’s not as bad as he thinks he is. He lets out a breath when he sees the ellipses appear on the screen.

  
 _unknown number  
_ Yes! I’m sorry, I should have started with that  
But please… call me Seonghwa   
instead of my cosplay name that is  
We’ll be working together and it’s a little too… formal

San adds the number into his phone—with Seonghwa as the contact name, and he’s only slightly upset that there isn’t a Mars emoji to put next to it—and then makes sure to introduce himself as well for good measure, even if he’s well aware that Seonghwa already knows who he’s talking to.

It’s only the polite thing to do. 

* * *

The conversation that starts afterward isn’t as awkward, or as nerve-wrecking, as San had been expecting it to be. Seonghwa gets straight to the point once the introductions are made, leaving no room for it to even head in that direction. 

Even though the original question San had asked earlier mentioned his progress, he’s asked for it again, but to add more detail; he asks about the fabrics that San was using, what colors he had chosen and how closely they matched, and so on. 

And San… he didn’t realize that so much went into it. Like, he _knew_ that he was out of his depth, but he didn’t know just _how badly_ until now. 

It’s eye-opening to say the least, and San listens to everything that Seonghwa tells him. 

He changes the fabric that he had been using to something more practical rather than what Yeonha had picked out originally, even though he had made sure to ask if the change would be okay—which it had been, because Yeonha had really only wanted the color, so as long as he kept it close to that it was “fine”. The needle went from the larger size that he used for the stuffed animals that he would attempt to fix to a smaller size so that the stitches could be hidden better. 

The changes help things go a little bit more smoothly but not as smoothly as San had been hoping for. He’d take it though, because every little change made is a step in the right direction. 

It’s also fun because Yeonha curls up against his side to watch him as he works, foregoing writing or drawing in her notebooks like she usually does when she gets home from school. He tells her everything that he’s learning from Seonghwa, even though he’s certain that she doesn’t understand most of what he’s telling her. She smiles and nods like she understands though, and it’s nice—the two of them spending time together with the occasional ding from his phone whenever he receives a new message. 

* * *

_Seonghwa  
_ So!  
How’s everything coming along? 

_San  
_ slow, but a lot better than before  
i didn’t realize that were so many factors into doing this  
but the changes have been helping!!!  
kinda wish i had a faster way of doing this though  
my hands are beginning to cramp

 _Seonghwa  
_ … have you used a sewing machine at all?  
Have you been doing everything by hand this whole time?

San can feel the disbelief practically dripping through the text. He hadn’t even stopped to think about that. Of course that would make things go faster, but he’s seen how expensive those things could get and he doesn’t really have the funds or the space to get one. He makes a face as he sends a reply. 

_San  
_ i def don’t have sewing machine

 _Seonghwa  
_ Okay, that’s... fine.  
We can figure something out. 

* * *

  
The something that Seonghwa figures out end being a sewing workshop. 

He can go, learn how to use the machine _and_ work on his project at the same time. It sounds like a good idea, sounds like it could be something fun. 

_San  
_ tbf though   
i don’t even know where to begin looking for one of those

 _Seonghwa  
_ I can try and help find you something.  
What’s your general location? 

San doesn’t even hesitate before he answers, even though he thinks he probably should. 

It’s only a few minutes later when he receives a reply. There’s only one that’s happening in the area, but Seonghwa had made a small note that he had been to this particular one and that he had liked it. It’s more of a permanent fixture, unlike some other workshops that travel from place to place. 

And then something clicks. 

_San  
_ so wait. does that mean you live around here too? 

_Seonghwa  
_ Yeah, I don’t live too far from there actually.

_San_ _  
_want to go together?  
it would be nice not to be completely alone  
even though we technically haven’t actually met

San holds his breath as he waits for the reply. He’s not lying—it _would_ be nice to have someone that he’s at least somewhat familiar with and it makes sense to ask the person who’s already helping him. 

_Seonghwa  
_ Sure, I wouldn’t mind going again. 

Maybe Seonghwa is only humoring him, but it does lift up a little bit of weight that had settled on his chest with the agreement. 

They work out a day to go and then a time that would work for both of them. They talk about the cost, which isn’t as expensive as San had initially been worried about. Seonghwa would take care of booking a spot, since he was more familiar with how this kind of thing works. 

Then he receives a new message, a photo image attached with a message that reads, “ _So you know who you’re looking for_.”

The scoff that comes out of San’s mouth is loud enough to have Yeonha coming out of her room, a concerned look on her face and asking if he was okay. 

“Mm, I’m fine. I just read something silly,” San says as she comes up to him. The concern leaves her face as she nods sagely before she makes him bend down so she can kiss his cheek, and then she’s running back to her room.

Because it had been silly. There aren’t a lot of pictures of Seonghwa outside of cosplay on his page, but there _were_ a handful there and San had found himself looking at those as much as he looked at the cosplay. 

He lets out another scoff, this one quieter, and sends a picture of himself back. And if he just so happens to pose a little bit, well. He’s going to keep that to himself. 

* * *

“Are you sure you’re okay with this?” San asks for what might be the thousandth time, pacing around the open space by the door, ignoring the exasperated look that Yunho and Mingi share with one another. Mingi is sitting on the couch next to Yeonha, crayon in hand because she’d demanded he color with her as soon as they had stepped into the apartment. 

San knows that they don’t mind, but sometimes he feels like he asks for too much from them despite their reassurances. 

“San, you’re worrying too much. You know we love watching Yeonha.” Yunho sounds exasperated, and San gets it. He knows that they love her, and are always happy to be asked to watch her. He just doesn’t want to take advantage of them, so he always likes to make sure that he’s not bothering them. “We got it handled over here, so go to that workshop thing and learn how to sew with that guy you’ve been texting nearly constantly.”

San flushes, can feel the heat in his face, but he doesn’t deign that with a response. Instead he glares. Yunho just grins back and he seems proud to have gotten some sort of reaction to that. From behind them, San hears Mingi mumble something, but before he can ask him to repeat what was said, Yeonha starts to speak. 

“Daddy’s gonna make me a dress for Halloween. It’s gonna look just like the picture,” Yeonha says matter-of-factly to Mingi. She pushes her dark hair out of her face with the hand not holding the crayon, still looking determinedly at the paper in front of her. “‘member that picture? I showed you it.” 

San hears Mingi give a reply but only barely, because Yunho is pushing him out the door, telling him that they have everything under control and to stop worrying and to _please just_ _go_ _already._

“Okay, okay! I got it, I’ll go but I have to say goodbye first,” San says, rolling his eyes. He looks over Yunho’s shoulder, over to where Yeonha and Mingi are sitting. “Bye baby, you be good okay?”

Yeonha nods and it’s endearing how emphatic the movement is. “Yes, I’ll be good. Promise. Love you, daddy.” 

She blows him a kiss and he blows one back, smiles when she lets out a little giggle. 

And then the door is shut behind him before he can say anything else and San lets out a little chuckle before heading on his way. 

His destination isn’t that far of a walk, much closer than it would have been if he had left from his own apartment, so he gets there earlier than expected. There aren’t that many people there and he wonders if it’s going to get much bigger, or if it’s going to stay small. San has never been to one of these before, so he’s not sure what to expect. 

Everyone seems friendly enough—there are quite a few smiles and nods sent in his direction—but no one actually comes over to say anything. It’s friendly, but a little more polite than what San is used to. 

“I hope you haven’t been waiting long?” A voice says behind him and San turns around and almost loses his balance with how quickly he turns in his seat. And oh— _Pictures do not do him justice at all_ , San thinks. He takes a moment to take in the slightly slicked back blond hair that seems like he’s run his hands through a few times which gives a less severe look to the fitted jeans with rips in the knees and a loose-fitting t-shirt. He looks comfortable, and San feels a little overdressed, still wearing his dress slacks and button-down that he had worn to work. 

San clears his throat as he shakes his head. “No, I haven’t been here too long? About ten minutes or so? I think.” 

“Okay, good. I’m glad I wasn’t too late. The bus had to take a different route because they were doing some construction and then the driver got lost,” Seonghwa says with a small grin that San can’t help but return. His voice is smooth and deeper than San had been expecting and it’s a pleasant surprise. “I was a little worried that you would think that I wasn’t going to be here.”

“No worries, it happens.” 

Before Seonghwa can reply to that, the person in charge—San doesn’t know whether to call them a teacher or an instructor, or if he’s supposed to call them either—starts talking, and everyone begins to quiet down as they listen to what’s being said. 

When they move to actually use the machine, San tunes out the voice coming from the front of the room in order to focus on Seonghwa’s. 

It’s a slow process. San is afraid to put much pressure on the pedal; he’s already seen what can happen when someone just presses down with a seemingly lead foot, and his grip is pretty rigid on the fabric and it doesn’t allow for much movement. However, he does notice that the lines are much more even this way, because the mass of fabric isn’t getting tangled in his hands. 

“You’ll get much more comfortable with the pedal the more you use it,” Seonghwa says and San can hear the amusement in his voice. “But it’s not all that difficult. It’s just a matter of finding that perfect balance of pressure without going overboard with it.”

It continues like that until the end of the session—with Seonghwa’s voice in his ear, and his hands sometimes taking over when San moves the fabric a little too much on either side and it becomes more of a zig zag. He can feel his cheeks heat up at that, but since Seonghwa isn’t making a big deal out of it, San doesn’t either. It doesn’t mean that it doesn’t make his heart race, though. 

San hardly realizes when the time runs out and everything is over. Everyone begins cleaning their stations, packing their belongings up as they say their goodbyes. 

“So, that was a little bit more fun than I was expecting,” San says folding the fabric up neatly and placing it in the bag that he had brought with him. He didn’t want to deal with it being wrinkled on top of everything else. 

“Good. It was supposed to be fun.” There’s a smile on Seonghwa’s face and he looks happy that San had enjoyed himself. “Did it help?”

“It did! I can’t believe that I didn’t think of something like this back when I first started. It would have saved me a lot of grief and a lot of pricked fingers.” San grins when that gets a laugh and then looks over at Seonghwa. “Can we do this again?” 

“I definitely would not be adverse to doing this again sometime.” 

* * *

Just like that it becomes a weekly thing. It goes from them meeting up at the workshop to meeting up for dinner before they head over. They start meeting up earlier and then they start going their separate ways much later. 

Sometimes it’s for business, making sure that he has everything that he needs to fit everything together. And sometimes… 

Sometimes it’s going on a walk afterwards and talking and learning about one another, grabbing something to eat while they move from one place to the other. 

The time they spend together, whether they’re working on the project or not, starts feeling more and more like they could be dates. San doesn’t mention the change to Seonghwa and he doesn’t bring it up either, but there’s a little bit more touching and sometimes the glances they shoot one another linger longer than they used. 

At first San feels guilty for asking Yunho and Mingi to babysit so much. It’s one thing to ask for a night or two here and there, but making it a weekly occurrence? He can’t help but feel bad. 

“Listen,” Yunho says when San goes to pick Yeonha up one night and voices his concerns yet again. “It’s fine. We seriously don’t mind. Plus, you like this guy. We haven’t seen you so interested in someone in… well, it’s been a while.”

And it’s true. San doesn’t really date anymore, hasn’t dated anyone in a long time. A couple of years, maybe? It’s not like he doesn’t want to date, but it’s hard to find someone that wants to commit to a serious relationship with a child already involved.

But Seonghwa is different. He may not have actually met Yeonha yet, but he’s known about her since the beginning. San can’t seem to stop talking about her or showing pictures of the drawings that she’s done. It’s gotten to where Seonghwa asks about how she’s doing without San ever bringing her up first. 

It’s a nice change from people he’s been around in the past who had asked about her as an afterthought, asking about her because they thought it would make him happy that it seemed like they cared. 

He never wanted to introduce her to any of them, but he wants her to meet Seonghwa. Because she looks up to him and likes his pretty pictures. 

Because he asks about her and means it. 

* * *

The call comes when San is walking out the door, Yeonha’s hand grasped tightly in his with her little backpack that she’s designated as the ‘color bag’ in her other hand. He frowns when he sees that it’s Mingi calling. 

“Hey, what’s up?” San asks as soon as he answers the phone. 

“I’m so sorry, but Yunho was scheduled for the closing shift tonight and forgot and I have a lab that I need to complete and submit tonight.” Mingi rushes out and he sounds so apologetic as he explains why they can’t watch Yeonha tonight. 

“Please don’t apologize, shit happens,” San says and he lets out a laugh at the scandalized “ _daddy!”_ that follows the curse. “Seriously it’s fine. I’m grateful that you’ve been helping me out these last few weeks. I’ll work something out.”

San reassures Mingi that he’s not upset—and he really isn’t, because he’s a grown adult who understands that things like this happen sometimes. San looks at his phone, looks at the open text message from Seonghwa telling him that he’ll be leaving soon. He thinks for a minute, fingers hovering over Seonghwa’s contact information before he presses on the number. 

The ringtone is loud in his ear as he waits for it to be answered. 

“Hey, San! Is everything alright?” There’s concern in Seonghwa’s voice and San’s stomach gives a little flip. 

“Yeah, everything is okay. Just—” San pauses and takes a breath before continuing, “—my friends aren’t able to watch Yeonha tonight, and I was wondering if it would be alright if she came along? If that’s okay with you?”

“Of course, that’s alright with me. I can’t wait to meet her.” San can hear the switch in tone, can hear when it switches from concern to something fond, or at least something with a smile. Seonghwa sounds like he’s smiling. 

San lets out a breath of relief. “Great, we’re actually headed out now. Did you still want to meet up to grab a little something to eat, or did you just want to meet there?” 

“And have you both go in on an empty stomach? I think not.” There’s mock outrage in Seonghwa’s voice and San can’t help the laugh that escapes at that. He knows that there’s a glare that matches, and he wishes that he was there to see it. 

“Okay, okay. Food first, got it. I’ll see you soon.” 

After the call ends he turns to Yeonha and kneels down in front of her. 

“Hey, how do you feel about coming with daddy tonight instead of going to see Mingi and Yunho?”

“Where are we going?” She asks. Her eyes narrow and she looks at him suspiciously. Which, okay. San can’t blame her for that. The last time this happened he took her to a doctor’s appointment for some shots. She’s been distrustful of sudden changes of plan ever since. 

“Remember the guy from the picture? The one in the costume that I’m making for you?” San watches her murmur “ _the pretty guy in the picture”_ to herself before she nods at him once, twice. “Well, he’s been helping me with that. And I was wondering if you wanted to meet him?” 

At that, her eyes light up and she lets out a loud and happy squeal and she wraps her arms around him. He grimaces a little at the fact that she had done it directly in his ear, but he smiles and hugs her back. Her joy is contagious. 

She talks about Seonghwa, only slightly disappointed to learn that his name hadn’t actually been Mars, the whole way there—as they walk the slightly crowded streets to the bus stop and on the bus as they find a spot to sit. San smiles and nods at everything she says, listening intently. He might be the one that has met him in person, but it’s clear that she knows more about his cosplays than he does. 

* * *

It’s obvious that Yeonha absolutely loves Seonghwa as soon as her eyes find him. And after San introduces them officially, she lets go of San’s hand and promptly latches onto Seonghwa. Her eyes light up and her jaw hangs open and she just stares up at him, and San just… really thinks that she’s the most adorable person on the face of the planet. 

(He’s only a tiny bit biased.)

Seonghwa picks her up and she immediately wraps her arms around his neck, like she's afraid that she’ll fall if she doesn’t hold as tightly as she can. 

They order something light, something that could be eaten on the way to their next destination—and, in Seonghwa’s case, something that could be eaten with one hand since he was still carrying Yeonha. 

“Do you need me to take her?” San asks, watching Seonghwa navigate between holding her and trying to eat at the same time. It’s cute, but he knows from experience that she can be a handful.

“Oh no, I’m good,” he says, laughing as Yeonha buries her face in his neck after glaring at San for even daring to ask to move her. 

San rolls his eyes, but feels endeared all over again. 

Yeonha has this habit of making friends everywhere she goes, so it’s no surprise when everyone at the workshop starts cooing and aww’ing when they see her. She thrives under the attention. She talks up a storm to anyone that would listen and, under San’s watchful eye, she starts walking up to different groups of people and asking what they’re doing. 

Eventually she gets tired and runs back over to them, and San can finally let himself relax and start working. She’s curled on Seonghwa’s lap, head laying on his shoulder, and she’s watching San work intensely. 

He’s finally gotten used to the way the machine works, only presses too hard on the pedal _sometimes_. There’s no official pattern to follow, so he’s looking at a printed out picture, and listening to Seonghwa’s suggestions. 

It’s not perfect, but Yeonha seems happy when he shows her how far he’s gotten along. She claps her hands and tells Seonghwa, “I’m going to look pretty just like you.” 

Seonghwa flushes and his expression is a mixture of surprise and embarrassment. He glances at San, obviously floundering and at a loss for words, but San just smiles and turns back to the work at hand. 

“You are, are you?” Seonghwa says and San can see him leaning in, like he’s going to tell her a secret. “I think you’re going to look very pretty in that dress when your dad finishes it.” 

Yeonha preens, pleased that he’s agreeing with her. “You should come treating with me and daddy.” 

“I should, huh?” Seonghwa looks over at San and their eyes meet quickly before he looks back over at Yeonha, watching as she nods vigorously. “Maybe you should ask your dad if that’s okay?”

“Oh, daddy wants you to come. He thinks you’re pretty too.”

San freezes, because _oh no._ He didn’t think he had mentioned anything in front of her, but children are sneaky little creatures. 

“Does he now?” Oh, that’s amusement. San kind of wishes that the ground would swallow him up right now. 

“Yup. Daddy says it to Yunho all the time.” 

San is absolutely mortified, because he has definitely talked to Yunho about his attraction and he has spoken enough to Seonghwa to know that the two of them were really close. His eyes widen and he can feel the heat in his face and he wonders if it’s as red as it feels. He looks over at Seonghwa nervously, who looks amused but there’s something else in his eyes that San hasn’t really seen in awhile. 

“Yeonha, oh my god,” San hisses, but before he can continue, Yeonha looks over at him with a pout. 

“But it’s true, daddy. I heard you talking about it. You do think ‘hwa’s pretty.” There’s a frown on her face, like she can’t understand why he just wouldn’t admit to saying that. 

And yeah, the ground can swallow him whole anytime now. That would be great. He looks up at the ceiling, counts to ten and then looks back down. He can’t bring himself to actually make eye contact, so he stares at the sewing machine, and twists the fabric in his hands. “Okay, yes. He’s pretty, and yes he can come with us if he wants to.” 

He says it in a rush before he can think better of it. San isn’t sure if it came out in a garbled mess—it feels like it did, his tongue feels heavy and thick in his mouth, and he’s oh so embarrassed—but he hears a little cheer from Yeonha and knows that it probably came a little more clear than he had wanted it to. 

It’s fine. This is fine. 

He’ll just continue working on the next piece of fabric, but as soon as he does that the timer dings signalling the end of this workshop. San lets out a sigh, because _of course_ it’s over. 

“Thank you guys for coming, and I hope that you have a good night,” the instructor says with a smile. 

Yeonha keeps up a constant chatter as San begins to clean the station, but he’s surprised when Seonghwa goes to help and their hands go to grab the same piece of fabric at the same time. He finds himself freezing again and he can’t seem to take his eyes off their hands. Seonghwa squeezes gently and then takes the cloth out from San’s hand before folding it himself and handing it back. 

San finally looks up and meets Seonghwa’s eyes and he nearly melts because they really are lovely. 

And fuck, okay. 

Maybe, just maybe, San thinks Seonghwa is a little more than just pretty. 

* * *

San was expecting it to be awkward after that, but it really isn’t, at least not on Seonghwa’s end. Once San gets over the embarrassment of being exposed by _his own child_ , he thinks he’ll be okay. 

Until then, he’s come to accept that he’s a bumbling mess, whose words get stuck in his throat and looks like red is his new color. 

Seonghwa, on the other hand, is just… softer? San can’t think of any other way to describe him. He’s incredibly gentle with Yeonha and always listens to her intently no matter what she’s telling him. 

But now, instead of working on a costume alone, Seonghwa is sitting in another station working on something for San. He’d asked for his measurements for something called a ‘splicer’ and after seeing some of those designs… well, San was definitely on board with that and then he’d gone to work the very next session. He still doesn’t know much about the game, but he definitely appreciates the designs. 

Plus, San had seen the pictures on Seonghwa’s facebook page from the group pictures. He knows that he’ll get to wear a mask and those look fun. 

And, with Yeonha’s insistence, they now have a companion on the way home—even though San knows that it’s in the opposite direction, even though he never stays longer than to make sure that they make it safely inside before heading back the way they had come from. 

Seonghwa never complained about the walk or the extra bus fare; he always seemed more than happy to accompany them. 

* * *

_Yunho_ _  
_SO.  
MINGI AND I HAVE DECIDED   
THAT YOU NEED TO ASK YOUR MAN OUT

_San_ _  
_is your capslock button stuck, or????

 _Yunho  
_ It’s not, thank you very much  
But thank you for being concerned!  
N E WAYS. We’ll watch Yeonha for you.  
Make it official and ASK. 

San thinks about it. He thinks about it long and hard, thinks about it until he feels like his mind is running around in circles. Because he wants to, he really does, but he thinks about how Seonghwa had never mentioned if he had wanted to go with them and suddenly he’s questioning whether he should. 

It’s not like San thinks that there would be a rejection if he asks. He knows that there is at least a little bit of _something_ there, because he’d be blind to not notice all the little changes as their friendship has progressed. San also realizes that he could probably already say that they’ve gone on plenty of dates before this but, like Yunho had brought up earlier, they hadn’t been _official_. 

Which doesn’t make them any less, he knows. 

But it makes him think—maybe it’s not the right time? Maybe it’s too soon? And, okay. He realizes that he should bring this up at some point, actually have a conversation about it, because that is the responsible thing to do… but he’s also not sure if he’s ready _himself_ to deal with admitting feelings. 

So he continues to not say anything. 

Yeonha’s dress and apron are complete. Seonghwa shows up with the syringe prop that he had used when he had done the photoshoot that prompted the whole thing, and she is ecstatic and demands to hold it. 

San thinks that he can probably figure out the makeup, but he still makes sure that he asks for advice on which brands and actual products to look for. 

His own costume is handed to him, and a promise is extracted from San to let Seonghwa know how it fits once he’s able to try it on. 

Suddenly there’s no need to meet up at the workshops any longer, because everything is finished. 

But— 

“—cause we’re done here, doesn’t mean that you need to be a stranger. You have my phone number, and I’d like it if you would continue to use it,” Seonghwa is saying and San shakes his head, having tuned out for part of the conversation. It’s a relief that Seonghwa still wants to keep in touch and it makes his heart beat a little faster. 

He still doesn’t ask. 

* * *

San decides that makeup is hard and that he doesn’t like it very much, grateful for the fact that a mask covers half his face so that he doesn’t have to do much. Yeonha, however, absolutely loves it and she practically begs to be able to put some on herself complete with a pout sent his way. 

“It’s my costume, daddy. Wanna do it myself.” 

He gladly hands over everything to her and moves out of the way, standing in the doorway and he leans against the frame as he watches her with a close eye. 

A picture that he had found earlier, apparently it was from in-game, is taped to the mirror so that he would have a reference to go off of while he was applying the makeup, and now that he’s handed everything to Yeonha, he watches as she pulls over a little step stool and mimics what he had been doing earlier—her nose scrunches up and her eyes narrow, as she studies the picture, before she puts on a shade that does not resemble anything that had already been applied. 

He’s already dressed in his costume. He’d modified it a little to match some of the pictures he’d seen online when he had gone searching—adding on some wraps that he’d thrown some dark red… whatever it was that he had found in a vampire makeup set, and then wrapped around his arm to resemble a bandage. His hair is disheveled. His mask is on the counter waiting to be put on. 

San hopes that he looks a little like someone who basically lives in what’s supposed to be something similarly post-apocalyptic. 

A knock interrupts his thoughts and he startles, glancing down the hallway at the front door. At first he thinks he’s imagining things because he isn’t expecting anyone; His friends were working so it couldn’t be them and his family lives too far away to have a spontaneous visit for a single night. 

But the knocking comes again. 

“Hey, I’m going to see who that is, okay? Can you step down for a minute? You can still put the makeup on if you want, but only if you stand on your tippy toes, okay? Don’t want you to accidentally hurt yourself.” He waits for her to step down before heading towards the door. 

San blinks as he opens the door and sees Seonghwa standing on the other side. His hair is slicked back and he’s wearing a dark tan three-piece suit. It doesn’t look like he’s wearing anything on his face, but he still looks—

“—really good. Jesus,” he says out loud before he can stop himself, jaw-dropping wide. San watches as a smile appears on Seonghwa’s face, clearly amused at the lack of his brain-to-mouth filter. 

“I hope the invitation to join you and Yeonha tonight is still open,” he begins to say. “I wasn’t sure if I would be able to make it at first, but I was able to move some things around.” 

“Ah, yes! Yes, of course it’s still open,” San blurts out, but he doesn’t move out of the doorway. His feet seem to be glued, still a little shocked by the fact that he’s _there_ at his apartment. 

Seonghwa coughs and then he says, “Would you kindly invite me in, or did you want me to stay out here until you both were ready?”

There’s a joke there that he doesn’t get, because as soon as San moves to let him through, a smirk appears on Seonghwa’s face and he looks as though he’s trying not to laugh. 

“What’s so funny?” 

“I wasn’t expecting it to work,” is the reply he gets and nope. San doesn’t get it and it must show in his expression, because Seonghwa says, “It’s a quote from the game.”

“‘Hwa! You’re here!” Yeonha’s voice is loud and clear, and her feet are loud as she runs down the hallway. San grimaces a little and hopes that his downstairs neighbors are out, because he certainly doesn’t want to deal with any noise complaints tomorrow. But he doesn’t tell her to slow down, because he can see how happy she is that Seonghwa is there. 

She’s showing off her costume and she looks so proud when her makeup gets complimented, preening at the attention she’s getting. She turns to San and hands him his mask. “You left that in the bathroom, so I brought it back to you. Can we go now? Please, please?”

San watches as she rocks back and forth impatiently. Her eyes are wide and her hands are clasped together in front of her chest. He lets out an over exaggerated sigh. “I _guess_ we can go if everyone is all ready?”

Before San can blink, Yeonha is grabbing both of their hands and pulling them towards the door, apparently making the decision for all of them. Neither of them say anything—but San definitely rolls his eyes heavenwards and Seonghwa raises an eyebrow at the display as both of them follow her through the door. 

She doesn’t know where she’s going, she’s just following the decorations and the lights, pointing at various costumes. She seems more interested in that than actually running up and getting candy, which San doesn’t mind. Yeonha and candy spelled high energetic chaos more often than not. 

He doesn’t mind when she lets go of his hand, but his eyes are trained on her small figure to make sure that she doesn't get too far ahead. 

"I didn't think that you were going to come over tonight," San says without looking over at Seonghwa. "You never gave an actual answer, so I figured that you had something else going on."

"I'm sorry, I should have at least said something when it was brought up," he replies. "It kind of caught me a little off guard that the both of you would want me here, so I’ll admit that I panicked a little.”

“I never would have guessed. You kept it pretty cool.” 

There’s a moment and then Seonghwa says with an embarrassed shrug, “It sure didn’t feel like it. I thought for sure that I was being so obvious. I mean, I did make part of your costume because I really like you and didn't know what else to do without actually coming out and saying it.”

“What a coincidence. I was literally about to die when Yeonha went and exposed me like that. Thought maybe that scared you off a little, so there was quite a bit of panic on my end as well.” San says with what he hopes is a nonchalant shrug of his shoulders, but he feels that ever present flush heating up his neck and face. “Remember, you can’t say anything around children. _Ever._ They remember everything and they do not hesitate to repeat it.”

“Noted,” Seonghwa nods seriously, although San can see that he’s trying to hide a smile.

“Also, I just wanted to say how much I appreciate you helping me out. With mine and Yeonha’s costumes, that is. I know that, in the grand scheme of things, they’re not really that difficult in comparison to some of the other things I’ve seen others pull off, but—”

“Everyone has to start somewhere,” Seonghwa interrupts, shaking his head. “Plus, I was just there to help point you in the right direction. You did all the heavy lifting.” 

San hums and then changes the subject, because he’s not sure he can handle anything else that might come out of Seonghwa’s mouth that sounds even like the slightest bit of praise; he doesn’t think his heart could handle that. “Speaking of costumes. Who are you supposed to be? I was thinking about it earlier, and I don’t think I recognize it.”

"I decided that I'd keep up appearances and match with you guys, so I decided to dress up as Andrew Ryan," Seonghwa says simply in response. San just raises his eyebrows and gives an expectant wave of his hand to continue because of course that doesn't help at all— he still knows nothing about the game, and he says just as much.

And San listens as Seonghwa gives him an overplay of the storyline, hooked onto every word. He didn’t think that the story would be so intriguing and found himself thinking that he should give it a shot someday—he thinks that he could probably bug one of his friends to let him steal their game system to make it happen—while they continue on, calling out every now and then to Yeonha to not run off too far ahead of them. Eventually San notices how low the sun had gotten and that it was about time to head back.

There's a pang of disappointment because the night was coming to an end, and he really didn't want it to. He knows that it’s the weekend, but there was going to be a lot of cleanup and it was better to deal with it sooner rather than later. Yeonha pouts and drags her feet, but heads back towards them without too much complaint and holds her arms up silently asking to be picked up. 

San of course obliges. She buries her face in his neck, hands pressed close to her chest. 

“Is ‘hwa gonna come back home with us? There’s no school tomorrow, so he can stay right?” It takes San a moment to figure out what was being asked, because most of it was said into his neck and there was at least one yawn that he had counted. 

At first, San doesn’t know what to say, because of course that would be fine and more than okay with him, but he doesn’t want Seonghwa to feel pressured in any way to say ‘yes’ because he and Yeonha wanted it to happen, didn’t want Seonghwa to feel panicked like he had been before. But before he can put anything into words to answer, he hears, “I would love to go back with you.” 

San hears a small cheer from Yeonha, complete with another yawn, and he thinks it’s a good thing that he had made the call to head home—it feels like she’s about to fall asleep any given moment, and he would really like to get her cleaned up before that happens. He looks over at Seonghwa, mouths _‘are you sure?’_ and smiles at the nod he’s given in reply. 

The bus ride back to the apartment is quiet, and it feels like an eternity passes before they reach their stop. Yeonha has fallen silent, but her hands have reached up to his hair and starts playing with the strands, so he knows that she’s still awake. Barely, though. 

When they finally reach the door, San struggles to get his keys out of his pocket, trying to shift Yeonha around without jostling her around too much. 

“Do you want to hand me your keys? I can unlock the door since you have your hands full.” 

“That would be great, thank you.” 

The keys are handed over and the door is pushed open.

“The light switch is somewhere around the corner on the right,” San tells Seonghwa when he notices that he’s just standing in the doorway looking around, because San had definitely forgotten to turn on a light before they had left. There is some light from the hallway, but not much—everything past the entrance looks like shadowy figures. There’s a moment and then light is flooding the apartment and San blinks as his eyes adjust to the brightness. 

“I’m going to go ahead and get her cleaned up, okay? But please feel free to make yourself at home.” San watches as Seonghwa nods in agreement and he turns and heads further into the apartment, turning on the rest of the lights as he goes. 

The cleanup is quick, even if Yeonha is a little more than half asleep and isn’t helping at all—with the actual bath or in getting dressed. But, San doesn’t mind at all, especially not when she gets cuddly and doesn’t want to be put down. 

“Don’ want to go to bed. ‘m not tired,” she says as she rubs her eyes, protesting as he begins to carry her to her room. 

“Did you want to watch a movie then?” Yeonha nods eagerly at that. 

“Can we watch Hocus Pocus? I like that movie.” 

There’s a big smile on her face when he gives his agreement. 

Seonghwa isn’t in the living room when they head back, but he hears sounds coming from the kitchen. San sets his daughter on the couch, and she immediately curls up against the side, pulling the little blanket that hangs on the side over herself. 

“You don’t mind if I put a movie on, do you? Yeonha isn’t quite ready for bed,” San calls out, digging around looking for the disc. 

“Of course I don’t mind,” is the answer that he gets, slightly muffled due to being in different rooms. 

The title screen is loading up when Seonghwa comes back into the living room carrying three mugs. “I found some hot chocolate mix in the cabinets, so I decided to heat some up since it was a little chilly tonight.” 

After the lights get turned off, they get situated on the couch and San doesn’t feel the least bit jealous when Yeonha moves and lays against Seonghwa, who just smiles and places an arm around her. San leans against the arm of the couch on the other side, and places his legs over Seonghwa’s lap. He’s fully expecting them to be pushed off, but they’re not. Seonghwa gives him a fond look when he glances over and places a hand on San’s knee, his touch light and practically unnoticeable through the fabric of his pants, but he could feel the weight and the heat. San clears his throat and his attention back to the screen and presses ‘play’. 

The scene is so domestic to San—the three of them sitting here, with hot chocolate on the table and watching a movie together. This hasn’t happened in a long time, outside of friends and family. It’s also nice to have someone that Yeonha gets along with so well with, because she mostly does keep to herself and doesn’t open up easily.

Eventually, about halfway through the movie, he realizes that Yeonha’s breathing has evened out and that she’s slumped against the side, mouth hanging open. 

“Yeah, she knocked out a little while ago,” Seonghwa whispers as he notices San looking over. “I’m surprised she stayed awake as long as she did.” 

“She just wanted to spend as much time with you as she could. She doesn’t usually fight it so much, but she really likes you.” 

Even though the main lights are turned off, leaving only the muted colors from the television, San can see Seonghwa blush and it’s the first time he’s seen it. It’s a look that San would love to see more of, and he makes a mental note to make it happen more often. 

“Well, I’m glad she does. I kind of like her as well.” Seonghwa pauses. San thinks he looks a little nervous—nervous but determined—and then he shrugs his shoulders. “I’m also kind of fond of her dad.” 

San lets out a laugh, bright and loud, forgetting for a moment that his daughter is asleep right there next to them. His hand covers his mouth, but he can’t stop the smile that breaks onto his face and is pleased when he sees that it’s returned. 

The movie is turned off once San remembers where he had placed the remote and Yeonha is handed over to San so he can put her to bed, making sure that she’s tucked in. He strokes her cheek and his heart warms when her nose scrunches up at the touch before smoothing out again. He makes sure that the door is only halfway closed when he leaves the room and turns on the light in the bathroom so that the apartment isn’t left in total darkness if someone has to get up in the middle of the night. 

When he returns to the living Seonghwa is standing, his jacket off and placed over the back of the couch. He looks like he’s getting ready to sleep on the couch and well—that just won’t do. 

“You know, there’s a bed available that’s a little bit more comfortable then the couch,” San says as he walks up to Seonghwa, only stopping when he’s standing directly in front of him. His heart is beating in his chest, hopes that he’s the only one that notices. 

“Oh, that sounds nice.” There’s something in Seonghwa’s voice that makes San’s breath catch in his throat, and he moves closer until they’re nearly touching. All he has to do is turn his head a little. “I hope I’ll have some company. I really do hate sleeping alone.” 

“Well, what do you know. I have that same issue.”

When their lips finally touch, San thinks about how soft Seonghwa’s lips are; thinks about how easily Seonghwa’s lips part underneath his, thinks about how good they feel against his. He thinks about how good it feels as Seonghwa presses in closer, hands gripping his hips tightly—already feeling so much, even though all they’ve done is kiss. 

Seonghwa rests his forehead on San’s when they finally pull apart, his breathing ragged. His grip loosens, but he doesn’t let go. 

For a moment, there’s nothing but the sound of their breathing. And then San laughs, low and raspy. He feels weightless and giddy and it’s something that he hasn’t felt in a long while. With them being so close, he can feel when Seonghwa smiles as well. 

“We should get to bed, yeah?” 

When San hears the quiet murmur of agreement, his lips are back on Seonghwa’s—a quick press before pulling away—and then he’s grabbing one of Seonghwa’s hands, guiding him through the apartment, not turning around to see where he’s leading them. He doesn’t need to see the path to know where everything is, just makes sure that their eyes are locked together. 

As soon as the door shuts behind them, their lips meet again. This time it’s harsher, more biting than before. 

San gets lost in the feeling—gets lost as hands and lips press against his skin as each piece of clothing gets removed, gasping and moaning and hoping that he isn’t being too loud. Seonghwa moves down his body, leaving biting marks on his skin and then soothing with his tongue when San hisses, pressing kisses on his hip before moving further. 

Seonghwa’s mouth is hot and heavy on his when San pulls him back up, with fingers fucking him open, and pressing inside. He feels so full, the stretch almost too much, but not enough at the same time. He’s reduced to nothing, rendered boneless. 

And then—everything fades into a blur until the only thing that San knows is this. 

* * *

San wakes up much too warm. 

A body is curled against his, an arm thrown haphazardly across his body and their legs tangled together. San sighs and buries his face in the pillow, not wanting to get up just yet. Even if the sun is starting to shine through the window, even though his body is sore and his muscles are already protesting just from the smallest movements. 

But as he hears soft footsteps padding around the apartment, and feels the rise and fall of Seonghwa’s chest, can feel the beating of his heart underneath his hand… 

San thinks that he could get used to this. 

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on [twitter](https://twitter.com/boundinglass)!


End file.
